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Copyright protects this Education Resource Kit. Except for purposes permitted by the Copyright Act, reproduction by whatever means is prohibited. However, limited printing and photocopying for classroom use only is permitted by educational institutions. Education Resource Kit prepared by Patrick Howard and Jordan Keyes-Liley for AIM Dramatic Arts © 2014 AIM Dramatic Arts AIM DRAMATIC ARTS 2014 GRADUATING COMPANY PRODUCTION HER NAKED SKIN TEACHER’S EDUCATION RESOURCE KIT Section 1. About AIM Dramatic Arts 2. About this Production Creative Mentors Creative Team Cast 3. Synopsis 4. The Playwright: Rebecca Lenkiewicz 5. About Her Naked Skin 6. The Director: Peta Downes Director’s Notes 7. Designers’ Notes 8. Historical Context: London, 1913 The Suffragette Movement Historical Timeline: 1912-1913 9. Curriculum Links Discussion Topics for Before Seeing the Play Discussion Topics for After Seeing the Play Research Activities Additional Resources / Links 10. Ticketing and Performance Information Performance Dates Getting to Pilgrim Theatre Theatre Etiquette 12. Bibliography AIM Dramatic Arts: Her Naked Skin Education Resource Kit ©2014 Page 3 3 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 13 13 14 15 16 17 17 18 18 18 19 19 20 2 ABOUT AIM DRAMATIC ARTS The Dramatic Arts department of the Australian Institute of Music (AIM) was formerly known as the Australian Academy of Dramatic Art (AADA). Based in Pilgrim House in the Sydney CBD, it provides students with the unique opportunity to train professionally as actors, theatre-makers and producers within its Bachelor of Performance program. Students learn the craft of acting and gain fundamental theatre-making skills in the areas of directing, design and technical production required for a professional career in the performing arts. For more information on AIM Dramatic Arts, the Bachelor of Performance and future performances and Professional Development workshops, visit: www.aim.edu.au/dramaticarts ABOUT THIS PRODUCTION AIM Dramatic Arts is proud to present the Australian premiere of Her Naked Skin by Rebecca Lenkiewicz. This is a Stage 5 Bachelor of Performance production and the result of nearly two years of training by the 2014 Graduating Company. Working with director Peta Downes and under the guidance of industry mentors (as below), the Graduating Company has designed, created and produced all elements of this production. In addition to this, they also perform as the cast for Her Naked Skin. CREATIVE MENTORS Directing/Producing/Marketing Peta Downes Production/Stage Management Dramaturgy Tim Burns Margaret Davis Voice and Accent Coaching Movement Coaching Antony Grgas Anca Frankenhaeuser Design (Set, Props and Costume) Lighting Design Megan Venhoek Martin Kinnane AV Design Sound Design Tim Hope Nate Edmondson AIM Dramatic Arts: Her Naked Skin Education Resource Kit ©2014 3 CREATIVE TEAM Director/Executive Producer Associate Producers Peta Downes Emma Khamis Tabitha Woo Assistant Directors Madeline Baghurst Sarah Watson Patrick Howard Jordan Keyes-Liley Dramaturges Production Manager Deputy Production/Technical Manager Rebecca Casey Iley Jones Stage Manager Marketing and Publicity Managers Bronte Axam Troy Kent Genevieve Muratore Voice and Accent Coaches Myles Burgin Blake Feltis Nathan Wilson Movement Coach Set and Props Designers Costume Designers Joanne Coleman Victor Kalka Mariya Tkachenko Alexis Hammerton Olivia O’Flynn Ellie May Stewart Lighting Designer AV Designer Dominic Bock Lachlan Stafford Sound Designers Ben Cornford Ryan Devlin The Creative Team in a Creative Development session early into the process of producing Her Naked Skin. Photo ©Lachlan Stafford. AIM Dramatic Arts: Her Naked Skin Education Resource Kit ©2014 4 CAST Lady Celia Cain Eve Douglas Florence Boorman Mrs. Schliefke Mrs. Briggs Emily Wilding Davison/Mrs. Major/Suffragette Mary Nicholson/Waitress/Eve Douglas Understudy Young Nurse/Suffragette/Celia Cain Understudy Wardress 1/Suffragette Wardress 2/Suffragette/Florence Boorman Understudy Flower Lady/Miss Beecham/Young Suffragette Clara Franks/Mrs. Collins/Suffragette Nurse/Felicity/Suffragette Miss Brint/Suffragette William Cain Madeline Baghurst Mariya Tkachenko Sarah Watson Emma Khamis Genevieve Muratore Ellie May Stewart Jordan Keyes-Liley Alexis Hammerton Rebecca Casey Joanne Coleman Iley Jones Olivia O’Flynn Tabitha Woo Bronte Axam Ryan Devlin H.H. Asquith/Guard 2 John Seely/Guard 3/MP Patrick Howard Dominic Bock Keir Hardie/Guard 1 Edward Grey/Dr Klein/MP Troy Kent Victor Kalka Augustine Birrell/Brown Charlie Power/MP Myles Burgin Nathan Wilson Potter/Hunt/Robert Cecil Newspaper Vendor/Dr Vale/Waiter/MP Lachlan Stafford Ben Cornford Dr Parker/Speaker/Lord Curzon/William Cain Understudy Blake Feltis The cast rehearse classical dance in an acting class. Photos ©Genevieve Muratore AIM Dramatic Arts: Her Naked Skin Education Resource Kit ©2014 5 SYNOPSIS On June 4 1913, Emily Wilding Davison stepped onto the track of the Epsom Derby and was trampled by the king’s horse. She died four days later from major head wounds. This incident became international news; shocking the Liberal government in the United Kingdom and shining fresh light on the forced-feeding that suffragettes were subjected to in Holloway Prison. Davison herself was forcibly fed 49 times. She became the suffragette movement’s first martyr (Hogenboom, 2013). During these tense four days, the suffragette movement became increasing visible and increasingly violent. While waiting at a demonstration in London’s West End, Lady Celia Cain is approached by first-time activist, 20 year old Eve Douglas. Eve jumps the gun and smashes shop front windows with a hammer. The two, along with a band of fellow suffragettes, are arrested and sent to Holloway Prison. The women are treated and prosecuted as terrorists rather than political prisoners, particularly Florence Boorman, a career suffragist-turned-suffragette. The women are placed in the prison’s Second Division, where they spend 23 hours of the day in solitude. The women go on a hunger strike to bring attention to the suffragette cause, as a result they are routinely subjected to archaic forced-feeding. William Cain, Celia’s husband, bribes his way into Celia’s prison cell and brings in the luxuries of the outside world. Celia and William have a tumultuous relationship at best and their secret rendezvous is made all the worse when William implores Celia to see a psychiatrist. Celia, meanwhile, is struck by Eve’s unconventional style and refusal to conform to societal standards. The two soon begin an affair. William and Celia argue about Celia’s role in the increasingly violent suffragette movement, and William’s alcoholism becomes increasingly apparent. The violation of Florence’s human rights becomes routine. The first act ends with Celia and Eve confessing their love for one another in Eve’s tiny Limehouse flat. Act Two starts with a bang in Epping Forest: Florence leads Celia, Eve and a group of suffragettes in a crash-course on shooting targets. Celia and Eve’s relationship begins to intensify and they soon feel the outside pressure on their forbidden romance. William is subjected to increasing public pressure and ridicule, as he is forced to defend Celia’s role in the suffragette movement against the most outspoken anti-female Member of Parliament, Lord Curzon. As the relationship between Eve and Celia deepens, a drunken William presents Celia with an ultimatum: give up the cause or be cut off forever. Faced with the prospect of losing her home and money, Celia must make a choice between her love for Eve, her newfound independence as a Suffragette or her duty as a wife. AIM Dramatic Arts: Her Naked Skin Education Resource Kit ©2014 6 THE PLAYWRIGHT: REBECCA LENKIEWICZ Rebecca Lenkiewicz was born in Plymouth, Devon, England in 1968. She Film and English at the University of Kent, graduating in 1989, and then later trained as an actor at the Central School of Speech and Drama, graduating in 1998. She initially worked as an actor for the Royal Shakespeare Company and the National Theatre, notably in Bacchai (2002), directed by Sir Peter Hall. Her first play, Soho - A Tale of Table Dancers, premiered at the Edinburgh Festival in 2000, as part of a mini-season of new work by the Royal Shakespeare Company. Based on Lenkiewicz’s own experiences as a table dancer at the age Photo ©Catherine Ashmore of 21, the play caused quite a stir, and marked the beginning of her exploration of the human body and its form in her work. Her second play, The Night Season, premiered at the National Theatre in 2004, received the Critics' Circle Most Promising Playwright Award and was nominated for the Charles Wintour Evening Standard Award and the Susan Smith Blackburn Award. (Costa, 2004) Her Naked Skin premiered at the National Theatre in 2008, directed by Howard Davies, and was quite notably the first play by a living female playwright to be staged on the Olivier Stage. Other plays include The Painter (2011) for Arcola Theatre, The Typist (2010) for Riverside Studios, The Lioness (2010) for The Tricycle, That Almost Unnameable Lust (2010), Shoreditch Madonna (2005) and Blue Moon over Poplar (2006) for Soho Theatre, A Soldier's Tale (2006) for The Old Vic, Invisible Mountains (2006) for National Theatre Education, Faeries (2008) for The Royal Opera House, Justitia (2006) for Peacock Theatre and adaptations of Ibsen's An Enemy of the People (2008) for the Arcola and the Manhattan Theatre Club, USA, Ghosts (2010) for Arcola Theatre and The Turn of the Screw (2013) for Almedia Theatre. For BBC Radio 4: Fighting For Words (2005), Caravan of Desire (2006), The Man in the Suit (2010) Sarah and Ken (2010) given Special Commendation for the Tinniswood Award, Dracula (2012) and The Winter House (2012). Lenkiewicz has also written the screenplays for Secret Diary of a Call Girl – Season 2 (2010) for ITV2, The Sea Change (2007) for BBC3, the film Alone in Libya (2012) and has co-written the screenplay for the film Ida (2013) with director Paweł Pawlikowski. Ida was awarded Best Film at the London, Warsaw and Gdynia Film Festivals as well as picking up two Golden Lions at the Gdynia Film Festival, the Ecumenical Jury Award at Warsaw and the International Critics’ Prize for Special Presentations at Toronto’s International Film Festival. (Casarollo Marsh Ltd., 2014) AIM Dramatic Arts: Her Naked Skin Education Resource Kit ©2014 7 ABOUT HER NAKED SKIN Eve: It’s funny to be a part of something. I’ve never been a part of anything before. Celia: It’s rather wonderful, isn’t it? - Rebecca Lenkiewicz, Her Naked Skin Her Naked Skin tells the story of Lady Celia Cain, an upper-class woman involved in a militant faction of the suffragette movement. The play begins with the martyrdom of Davison at the Epsom Derby and ends with the outbreak of World War I. The central action is centered on an upstairs-downstairs love affair between two fictional suffragettes: Celia and a factory seamstress, Eve Douglas. The play also sheds light on the illegal force-feeding practices the women in Holloway Prison were subjected to and the response of men to the women’s suffrage movement. The play was first performed in 2008, and with it, Rebecca Lenkiewicz became the first living female playwright to have her original work performed on the Laurence Olivier stage of London’s National Theatre (Billington, 2008). The play was met with generally positive reviews, however it left some reviewers confused over the forbidden-love themes of lesbianism in 1913 and the National Theatre’s misleading marketing campaign that centred on feminism and the suffrage movement, rather than Celia and Eve’s relationship (Groskop, 2008). Despite this, Variety’s David Benedict (2008) described it as a play that ‘dramatizes private lives for an increasingly engrossing exposé of tensions between class and sexuality that still resonate today.’ Her Naked Skin distils these themes into a series of dichotomies. Man versus woman, privateself versus public-self, suppression verses freedom to name a few. Lenkiewicz explores themes of gender equality through the perspective of the prevailing class system (Celia’s monetary and societal dependence on her husband) and institutionalised reinforcements of the patriarchy (looking at the relationship between the male doctors and subservient female nurses); forbidden love through Celia and Eve’s romance; the theme of captivity and the long term effects that prison has on its inmates, highlighted eloquently by Florence: “Have you visited the zoological gardens, Potter? Do you see what happens to those beasts? They pace up and down. They eat their own tails and faeces. They lose their fur. They make noises in their cages that should only be heard in hell. Their only crime was being rare or beautiful. As is ours, sir. As is ours.” (Lenkiewicz, 2008, p. 11) These dichotomies highlight the extreme circumstances that occur through any changing societal regime, placing the characters at morally polar oppositions that they cannot, or will not, compromise. The women’s suffrage movement marked the first wave of feminism, and in Her Naked Skin, Lenkiewicz intertextually references both the works of Henrik Ibsen (A Dolls House, Hedda Gabler) and George Bernard Shaw (Pygmalion); writers who questioned the role of women during the same time the play is set. She expertly weaves these references into a contemporary play highlighting the immense social pressures and inequalities that women still face today. AIM Dramatic Arts: Her Naked Skin Education Resource Kit ©2014 8 THE DIRECTOR: PETA DOWNES Peta Downes is a theatre director, producer and arts educator of over twenty years experience and the Head of AIM Dramatic Arts. She holds a Master of Fine Arts in Theatre Directing from QUT (Queensland University of Technology) and is currently completing her PhD with the University of Sydney’s Performance Studies Department. From 1996-8 she was a senior associate artist and performer with Zen Zen Zo Physical Theatre in Brisbane and in 1999 was invited to participate in the SITI Company's New York annual physical theatre intensive, training in directing, composition and playwriting as well as Viewpoints and Suzuki actor training methods with director and contemporary theatre legend Anne Bogart and members of the company. Photo © Marcus Walters From 2002-4 she worked as an associate director with the Bell Shakespeare Company, writing, devising and directing three works for their Actors at Work program, The Power and the Passion, The Things We Do For Love and The Poisoned Chalice which toured throughout Australia and Singapore, as well as working as an educator and dramaturge on Bell’s main stage productions. She has directed for La Boite Theatre Company and the Queensland Theatre Company and developed, produced and directed new theatre works with the Brisbane Powerhouse, Metro Arts! (Brisbane), and the Darlinghurst Theatre (Sydney). Directing credits include: Europe, Dark Paths, Edward II, Greetings to November, A Midsummer Night’s Dream (postModern productions), The Button Game (co-production with Playlab/Metro Arts!), Redemption (coproduction with Metro Arts!), Slip of the Tongue (co-production with Brisbane Powerhouse), Stained (co-production with Darlinghurst Theatre), The Taming of the Shrew (assistant director) and Leaning Towards Infinity (La Boite Theatre Company); Antigone (assistant director, Queensland Theatre Company); Capricornia (assistant director), The Saxon Shore, Antigone, Dust, Dags, The Kid, Small Lives/Big Dreams, The Proposal/The Bear (Queensland University of Technology); Plenty: Days and Days and Days Like This (University of New South Wales); Left Behind (Central Queensland University Rockhampton); Rodent, Down the Hatch (Short and Sweet Festival); The Pretty Girl, The Charmed Life (Short, Sweet and Song Festival); and The Tempest (Charles Sturt University Wagga Wagga). During this time, she has worked extensively as an actor trainer and arts educator with acting and theatre studies students from QUT, UNSW, NIDA, CQU (Rockhampton), CSU (Wagga Wagga), Actors Centre Australia and Actors College of Theatre and Television. AIM Dramatic Arts: Her Naked Skin Education Resource Kit ©2014 9 DIRECTOR’S NOTES Her Naked Skin by Rebecca Lenkiewicz is a play about lost souls as much as it is about Suffragettes. It is a portrait of women at a point in time before their role in society changed from that of a possession to one of a political voice and an equal member of society. Celia Cain, the protagonist, embodies all of the rights and privileges afforded to upper class women at the time the play is set (1913), but rejects them wholeheartedly in search of something more that life can offer her. She finds solace and sisterhood in the Suffragette movement; the characters in this world offer her a chance to escape from the petty rhythms and boredom of a passionless marriage, and to engage in something much bigger than her. Thematically, Her Naked Skin deals with the dichotomy of tameness and wildness. Animal references are interspersed throughout the play, with the beginning action ‘a woman trampled by horses’ acting as the inciting incident for the play’s ensuing action. This dichotomy is demonstrated through the genteel nature of Celia and William’s marriage and the savagery of the women’s actions in breaking windows and being locked up in Holloway Prison; the actions are unexpected and away from the tame, demure demeanor expected of the female. Birds and other animals such as wolves, foxes and dogs are interwoven in the mythology of the text, used as metaphors for the action of the play. These themes are further extrapolated by the play’s sense of place – inside and outside, private and public. The incarceration and subsequent torture of the women inside Holloway demonstrates the capture of the wildness and the taming process – the water torture and force-feeding, being treated like animals, kept in the dark. There is the sense of division between men and women, and also amongst men and women and the shifting perceptions of how things are and ought to be. The play moves quickly between Parliament, the street, Holloway prison, a psychologist’s office, the characters’ homes, a forest, a park and a café, all of which underpin the private/public persona of the play’s characters and action. There is also a sense of evolving and revolving, with everything circling back to the prison itself, which is where most of the action of the play takes place. The prison in a metaphoric sense is more than Holloway. Holloway presents a form of escape for these women from their everyday lives and a chance to stand for something more than the wife of their husband. The challenge of Her Naked Skin as a play is in the telling of history itself and the obligation that we might feel to creatively recreate or interpret fact. As a creative team, we have spent the past three months exploring this history and immersing ourselves in the actions of these women and making decisions about the play’s world; a world that is highly physical, violent, grotesque, and at times gentle, but one of decadence and change that will reverberate throughout history. AIM Dramatic Arts: Her Naked Skin Education Resource Kit ©2014 10 DESIGNER’S NOTES Costume - Alexis Hammerton, Olivia O’Flynn & Ellie May Stewart Taking on the responsibility of dressing all twenty-four actors and fifty-five characters has allowed us as designers to create costumes that show wealth and status, as well as symbols that allude to animals and hunters. Keeping the tight and constricted silhouette of women in 1913, we have built upon a foundation of bloomers, blouses, long skirts and corsets to create a basic suffragette image. The uniqueness of each character will be found in the small details; for example with the use of feathers, hats, aprons, jewels and shoes. This process is similar to the way we have created a basic image for the male characters, working with the concept of gangs, packs, clubs and hunting parties. The main difference between the men will be through the use of fur, as well as deep colours such as reds and blacks. The higher status men, such as Asquith, will have copious amounts of fur, whereas William may just have a trim of fur around his gloves. Set and Props – Joanne Coleman, Victor Kalka & Mariya Tkachenko The challenge for the set design team is not to create an accurate replica of 1913 London, but rather something that will imaginatively evoke the feeling of the time and the world of the play. Her Naked Skin shifts between the private worlds of the characters, the public world and the world of the prison, so our goal has been to create a space that can take us to all these places. We were inspired by not only images of Holloway Prison, but also cages and cells. This influenced the textures used in the set, concrete, bricks, wood, and iron, which also conjure up images of a post industrial revolution world. At times this will be starkly contrasted by flashes of decadence in the world of the men of the play, particularly the politicians and Celia’s home life. One of the key features of the set is a large prison gate, modelled on the original Holloway Prison, which the audience will walk through when they enter the space. At almost four metres tall it is quite imposing and serves as a constant reminder that none of the characters are ever truly free (even when they are not in the prison). AIM Dramatic Arts: Her Naked Skin Education Resource Kit ©2014 11 Sound – Ben Cornford and Ryan Devlin For this show we have been asked to compose music for the soundtrack, as well as to create a live sound and musical performance to accompany the recorded aspect of the design. The compositional element of the design consists of writing our own melodic lines inspired by music from the time and the events and themes in the play itself. The composition also allows us to take complete ownership of the sound as it has been written entirely for the performance of Her Naked Skin. We will be combining recorded and live sound to bring the sonic world of the play to life. This will include using vocal choral arrangement and instruments. For the recorded sound we will use samples from music of the era and our own compositions, which will be recorded using the AIM recording facilities. Lighting – Dominic Bock The lighting design is about supporting and enhancing the creative vision of the director and design teams. One of my primary aims is to create a sense of space and physical context as the scenes alternate between places. As we shift from the outdoors to apartments, cafes to prison cells, we want the audience to get a sense of where the action is taking place by creating a lighting vocabulary. The architecture of the space, in the form of the set and props, will not only be highlighted by lighting but also lit from various angles to create shadow and light patterns that add to our recognition of space. Just as there are literal season changes through the play, so too are there emotional seasons. Lighting provides a means of conveying the emotional state of the characters by the use of warm and cool lighting, and also helps the audience in guiding their focus. Subtle uses of colour also create depth and subconsciously feed our perception of characters, as does the use of shadows. AV – Lachlan Stafford The use of AV in this production does not play a major role, nor does it need to. The AV will be used to provide a sense of space by projecting imagery, such as nature, on three of the interior walls of the theatre. It will also be used as a form of historical reference, placing images such as posters that were used in the time around the set, showing how the suffragettes communicated their cause to others in their society. AV will also be used in more abstract ways by projecting shadows and refracting texture onto people as well as the architecture of the space. AIM Dramatic Arts: Her Naked Skin Education Resource Kit ©2014 12 HISTORICAL CONTEXT: LONDON, 1913 Her Naked Skin takes place in London, England between June 1912 and April 1915. At this time, the Edwardian era had just drawn to a close, and with it, a time of peace and prosperity that saw the British Empire as the empire ‘on which the sun never set’. England was leading the world in trade, the economy was very healthy and those who were fortunate enough to be positioned well in the rigid class system enjoyed a time of great luxury. However, during these years leading into the beginning of World War I, England was a land on the brink of uncertainty and immense upheaval. 1912, the year before Her Naked Skin is set, saw the maiden voyage of the largest ship afloat at the time, the HMS Titanic, which never made its destination, sinking five days into its voyage, killing more than 1,500 people on board. This tragic event reflects England’s complacent optimism in maintaining its position as the strongest empire in the world, ultimately leading to its undoing after WWI. 1912 was also the year that the Women’s Social and Political Union (WSPU) began to become militant in their campaigning for suffrage, with the first cases of smashing shop windows recorded on 1st March, and concerted firebombing attacks on pillarboxes on 27th November. 1913 saw an increase in social unrest in the U.K., with major industrial strikes in the Black Country of England as well as The Dublin Lockout threatening preparations for WWI. Unrest continued in Ireland with the Third Irish Home Rule Bill rejected by The House of Lords for the second time in a landslide vote. 1913 was also a significant year for women’s suffrage. Emily Wilding Davison made history as she stepped onto the track at the Epsom Derby on June 4, allegedly to adorn the king’s horse with a sash, but being trampled by the horse, died four days later. A large rally also took place in Hyde Park on June 26 with as many as 50,000 suffragettes gathering to be heard. THE SUFFRAGETTE MOVEMENT Women! Comrades! Dear Fellow-workers! I charge you, love this Movement, work for it, live for it. Let no thought of your own comfort and happiness hinder you from rendering your whole service. Give it your thought, your time, your all. It is worth everything you can give! - Emmeline Pankhurst (qtd. Purvis 1995, p. 110). A national movement in support of women’s suffrage in the United Kingdom began in 1872. The movement became widespread with the establishment of the National Society for Women’s Suffrage and then was furthered with the more influential National Union of Women’s Suffrage Societies (NUWSS). These organisations gained little ground for women’s suffrage and it wasn’t until Emmeline Pankhurst and her daughter Christabel established the Women’s Social and Political Union (WSPU), which was far more militant than what had come before, that the movement really impressed itself on the public consciousness (NUWSS Manifesto, 1913). From 1905 until the outbreak of WWI in 1914, approximately 1000 women were sent to prison for their involvement in the suffrage cause. Most of these women were affiliated with the WSPU as well as the less militant Women’s Freedom League (WFL) (Purvis 1995, pp.103-4). The outbreak of WWI put a halt to most of the campaigning, forcing the suffragette movement to become more discreet. But perhaps due to the higher profile of women in the workforce during World War I, in 1918 the Representation of the People Act 1918 was passed, giving the vote to women over the age of 30 who met property qualifications. In 1928, the Act was updated and extended the vote to all women over the age of 21 (ibid. p.123). AIM Dramatic Arts: Her Naked Skin Education Resource Kit ©2014 13 HISTORICAL TIMELINE: 1912-1913 1912 1 Jan 6 Jan 17 Jan Republic of China proclaimed New Mexico becomes 47th state of United States of America British polar explorer Capt. Scott and a team of four become the second expeditionary group to reach the South Pole. 1 Mar Suffragettes smash shop windows in the West End of London, especially around Oxford Street. 10 Apr The RMS Titanic sets sail from Southampton to New York. 14 Apr The RMS Titanic strikes an iceberg in the northern Atlantic Ocean and sinks with the loss of 1,517 lives. 8 Oct The First Balkan War begins: Montenegro declares war against the Ottoman Empire. 10 Oct The Maternity Allowance Act goes into effect in Australia, but excludes minorities. 27 Nov Concerted Suffragette attacks on pillar-boxes. 1913 15 Jan 30 Jan 10 Feb 26 Feb 3 Mar 12 Mar 2 Apr 9 May 29 May 1 Jun 4 Jun 11 Jun 26 Jun 26 Jul 10 Aug 31 Aug 14 Oct 1 Dec Unemployment and Maternity benefits introduced in the United Kingdom. The House of Lords (U.K.) rejects the Third Irish Home Rule Bill for the second time, by 326 to 69. News reaches London of the failure of Capt. Scott's 1912 Polar expedition. The Royal Flying Corps establishes the first operational military airfield for fixedwing aircraft in the U.K. at Montrose in Scotland. The Woman Suffrage Parade of 1913 takes place in Washington, D.C. led by Inez Milholland on horseback. Australia begins building the new federal capital of Canberra. Suffragette Emmeline Pankhurst sentenced to three years of penal servitude. Major industrial strike in the Black Country of England involving 25,000 workers, threatening preparations for World War I in naval and steel industries. The workers demand 23 shillings minimum wage. (Until 11 July). Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring premieres in Paris; its modernism provokes one of the most famous classical music riots in history. The Greek-Serbian Treaty of Alliance is signed, paving the way for the Second Balkan War. Emily Wilding Davison, a suffragette, runs out in front of the King's horse, Anmer, at the Epsom Derby. She is trampled and dies four days later, never having regained consciousness. (Scene 1 of Her Naked Skin). Women's suffrage is enacted in Norway. First woman magistrate appointed in the U.K., Miss Emily Dawson. 50,000 women take part in a pilgrimage in Hyde Park, London, organised by the National Union of Women's Suffrage Societies. Second Balkan War: The Treaty of Bucharest is signed, ending the war. Macedonia is divided and Northern Epirus is assigned to Albania. ‘Bloody Sunday’ - Dublin Lock-out: The Dublin Metropolitan Police kill one demonstrator and injure 400 in dispersing a demonstration in Sackville Street. An explosion at the Universal Colliery, Senghenydd in South Wales kills 439 miners, the worst mining accident in the United Kingdom. The Ford Motor Company introduces the first moving assembly line, reducing chassis assembly time from 12½ hours in October to 2 hours, 40 minutes. Although Ford is not the first to use an assembly line, his successful adoption of one sparks an era of mass production. AIM Dramatic Arts: Her Naked Skin Education Resource Kit ©2014 14 CURRICULUM LINKS Attending a performance of Her Naked Skin will be a valuable opportunity for high school students to examine the historical context of the suffragette movement through the fictional, dramatic frame of Lady Celia Cain. By being able to directly communicate with the actors/creatives, students will also have the opportunity to learn about and discuss elements of production and the process of creating and producing a theatrical performance, making this an invaluable experience for Drama and Entertainment Industry students. All students studying the ‘Belonging’ (Board of Studies, 2007) and ‘Discovery’ (Board of Studies, 2013a) Areas of Study for HSC English (Standard and Advanced) will also find this play and the AIM Dramatic Arts production of it valuable texts to consider for use as additional texts. HSC Drama (Stage 6) (Board of Studies, 2009a) Students of HSC Drama will be able to observe the work of AIM Dramatic Arts Stage 5 students as they take on acting and creative roles simultaneously. This is a unique opportunity to observe this work in action and then ask questions of the AIM Dramatic Arts students in a Q&A session after the performance. This is particularly useful when considering the audience observation aspects of the ‘Elements of Production in Performance’ content in the syllabus, as well as the Critical Analysis (Portfolio of Theatre Criticism) elective for the Individual Project. Students electing to do other forms for the Individual Project may also find the experience valuable by observing a final production and then hearing an actor/creative discuss the process undertaken. Relevant Outcomes: P2.1 understands the dynamics of actor-audience relationship. P2.2 understands the contributions to a production of the playwright, director, dramaturge, designers, front-of-house staff, technical staff and producers. P2.6 appreciates the variety of styles, structures and techniques that can be used in making and shaping a performance. P3.1 critically appraises and evaluates, both orally and in writing, […] the performances of others. H2.4 appreciates the dynamics of drama as a performing art. H3.2 analyses, synthesizes and organsies knowledge, information and opinion in coherent, informed oral and written responses. H3.3 demonstrates understanding of the actor-audience relationship in various dramatic and theatrical styles and movements. H3.5 appreciates the role of the audience in various dramatic and theatrical styles and movements. Years 7-10 Drama (Stages 4 & 5) (Board of Studies, 2003) While students are not explicitly required to engage in the processes of production and creative development in the syllabi for Stages 4 & 5, the content of these courses still contain a heavy emphasis on appreciating drama, specifically, ‘the meaning and function of drama and theatre in reflecting the personal, social, cultural, aesthetic and political aspects of the human experience’. Additionally, Her Naked Skin is an excellent text for Cross-Curriculum Content sections of these syllabi. Firstly, ‘Difference and Diversity’, which states that course content should allow students to, ‘respond to different viewpoints and beliefs in order to develop mature awareness, AIM Dramatic Arts: Her Naked Skin Education Resource Kit ©2014 15 understanding and acceptance of difference and diversity’, and secondly, ‘Gender’, which invites students to, ‘explore the contribution of significant women in the traditionally maledominated field of drama and theatre and analyse the social construction and portrayal of gender stereotypes in dramatic and theatrical texts’. Relevant Outcomes: 4.3.1 identifies and describes elements of drama, dramatic forms, performance styles, techniques and conventions in drama. 4.3.2 recognizes the function of drama and theatre in reflecting social and cultural aspects of human experience. 5.3.1 responds to, reflects on and evaluates elements of drama, dramatic forms, performance styles, dramatic techniques and theatrical conventions. 5.3.2 analyses the contemporary and historical contexts of drama. Modern History (Stage 6) (Board of Studies, 2009b) The Preliminary Course for Stage 6 Modern History (typically delivered in Year 11) is focused quite strongly on the beginning years of the Twentieth Century, particularly 19001914, as they give context to the core study of World War I. Her Naked Skin takes place from 1913 to 1914, and examines in detail the rise of militant tactics in the suffragette movement at this time, making this text a valuable resource to begin an understanding of the position of women at this time, as well as an insight into the politics of the era. Specifically, Her Naked Skin would be an incredibly useful vehicle to begin examining ‘Emmeline Pankhurst and the Suffragette Movement’, one of the Case Studies (A8) prescribed as an option for study in Part I of the Preliminary Course Content. This Case Study requires students to examine: -‐ the social and political roles of women in nineteenth-century Britain, -‐ the aims and tactics of the Suffragette Movement, -‐ the political and social gains of the movement by the end of World War I, and -‐ the role of Emmeline Pankhurst. Additionally, the Core Study (Part III) of the Preliminary Course examines ‘The World at the Beginning of the Twentieth Century’, in the context of being pre-World War I, which examines: -‐ The nature of European society -‐ rich and poor -‐ social change -‐ Emerging forces and ideas -‐ politics of the working class: socialism -‐ anarchism DISCUSSION TOPICS: BEFORE SEEING THE PLAY • • • • • How many women are currently sitting in Australian parliament? Why do you think there are substantially fewer women in parliament? Do you think this is fair? Why do you think that, even in 2014, women face more difficulties than men in obtaining positions of power or responsibility? What role do men have in supporting women to be equal in today’s society? What actions do disenfranchised and disempowered people take to have their voices/opinions heard in today’s society? What about other people who petition for the rights of others who have no voice? What situations have you found yourself in where you yourself felt like you had no power? How did this feel? What did you do to change this, if anything? AIM Dramatic Arts: Her Naked Skin Education Resource Kit ©2014 16 • Do you think there are substantial differences between people who are rich and poor in today’s society? Who has power in today’s society, and how do they get it? DISCUSSION TOPICS: AFTER SEEING THE PLAY • • • • • • • • How did your experience of the production compare to your expectations? What is dramatic catharsis? How might this play be cathartic for its audience? What are the issues presented in the play? Are they still relevant today? William is seen to be quite supportive of the Suffragette movement initially. What position does he ultimately take? How is William different from all the other men in the play? What are the differences between Celia and Eve? Why are they ultimately unable to maintain a romantic relationship? If they were alive today, would they face the same adversities? Discuss the set, costumes, lighting and sound for the production. How do these elements help to tell the story? What ideas or themes do they suggest that are not in the script? The scenes in this play are quite episodic and the location of the action shifts very quickly to different places, from Holloway Prison, to the street, to Hyde Park, to The Ritz, to Epping Forest, etc. How did the designers overcome this challenge? Is there another way it might have been done? What would you do? RESEARCH ACTIVITIES • In the opening scene of Her Naked Skin, we see a woman put on a sash and her hat, check her coat and leave. This woman is Emily Wilding Davison. After she leaves we see historical footage from 1913 of the real Emily as the King’s horse at the Derby tramples her. Who was Emily Wilding Davison? What had happened to her in her life that lead to her dying for the cause of the Suffragettes? Did she mean to die? In Her Naked Skin, Emily doesn’t say anything, but is spoken for by politicians and her fellow suffragettes; you might like to give her a voice by presenting your research as Emily herself in the form of a short monologue of what she might have been thinking that morning before the Derby. • H.H. Asquith, John Seely, Augustine Birrell, Edward Grey, Keir Hardie, Robert Cecil (Edgar Algernon Robert Gascoyne-Cecil) and Lord Curzon are characters in Her Naked Skin that represent real political figures in the United Kingdom in 1913. What were their positions in government, and what did they do in their terms in office? Specifically, what did they have to say about the status and rights of women? • Holloway Prison still stands today as a prison for women. What would this prison have been like in 1913? You could present your research as a fictional diary entry from a woman who was gaoled within the prison, maybe on her first day, seeing the prison for the first time. Alternatively, you might like to research photographs and descriptions of the prison, and draw up a design for a realistic Holloway Prison set for Her Naked Skin. • Her Naked Skin references significant historical figures, both from before and during the setting of the play. These include Queen Elizabeth I, Captain Scott and Igor Stravinsky. Who are these historical figures, and what might they have in common? Consider why Rebecca Lenkiewicz might have referred to these people in Her Naked Skin. AIM Dramatic Arts: Her Naked Skin Education Resource Kit ©2014 17 ADDITIONAL RESOURCES / LINKS Her Naked Skin • The trailer for the original National Theatre production. (2:33) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bHhSZPDlME8 • A review from The Guardian of the original National Theatre production. http://www.theguardian.com/stage/2008/aug/02/theatre1 • A critical queer, feminist critique of the play and its original production. http://www.thefword.org.uk/reviews/2008/09/her_naked_skin Emily Wilding Davison • Secrets of a Suffragette: a documentary for the 100th anniversary of Emily’s death. (47:17) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43dnJ_BAFJ4 • Shorter, better quality version of the above documentary. (7:15) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-G4fJ9I_wQg London, c.1913 • The Year was 1912: a collection of music and film footage from 1912. (5:33) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3CaieEwEuiw • The Year was 1913: a collection of music and film footage from 1913. (4:41) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWZHo9dE7ps • Enhanced video footage of Edwardian England, around 1900. (5:34) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQV1_B63LTM TICKETING AND PERFORMANCE INFORMATION Tickets and bookings for Her Naked Skin are available now. Tickets are FREE for students and teachers, and are $15 for general admission. The show runs for approximately 2 hours including a 20 minute interval. Please note, this production is rated M for mature audience. It contains simulated violence, partial nudity, coarse language and adult themes. For school matinee bookings, please contact AIM Dramatic Arts on (02) 9219 5424. Please indicate if you would be interested in staying for a Q&A session with the creatives/cast after the performance. Individual tickets for Her Naked Skin are also available. To book, simply follow this link: hernakedskin.eventbrite.com.au PERFORMANCE DATES Sat 23 Aug Sun 24 Aug Tue 26 Aug Wed 27 Aug Wed 27 Aug 8pm 5pm 6.30pm 11am 8pm Thur 28 Aug Fri 29 Aug Fri 29 Aug Sat 30 Aug 8pm 11am 8pm 8pm AIM Dramatic Arts: Her Naked Skin Education Resource Kit ©2014 18 GETTING TO THE THEATRE Pilgrim Theatre 262 Pitt St, Sydney CBD Housed in a heritage-listed building, the Pilgrim Theatre is a performance venue in the heart of the Sydney Central Business District, and is the main performance venue for AIM Dramatic Arts productions. The nearest train station is Town Hall. Facilities include disabled access. PARKING: Closest parking bays are in the Queen Victoria Building or the Hilton Hotel. Other nearby parking available in St. Andrews Car Park and Secure Parking in Pitt Street. TRAIN: Nearest station is Town Hall Station with a short walk to Pitt St. Museum Station and St. James are also close by. BUSES: Run along George & Elizabeth Streets and are a short stroll to Pitt St. FERRY: Nearest ferry wharf is Darling Harbour (0.7 km). THEATRE ETIQUETTE For many students, a visit to the Pilgrim may be their first theatre experience. It may be helpful to discuss what they can expect or to have other students relay their own experiences about theatre productions they have seen. Another important point to review is the difference between live theatre and watching a movie or television. Visiting the theatre should be an entertaining activity, but it is also one that requires consideration for fellow audience members as well as the actors on-stage. Unnecessary noise disturbs everyone. Knowing what is expected of you as a member of the audience can make the theatre experience more enjoyable for all involved. Please ensure that you observe the following: • Arrive on time. Latecomers will only be allowed in at certain intervals. Missing the start of a performance will diminish your enjoyment and/or understanding of the piece. It will also disrupt the show for the actors and other audience members, as audience needs to go through the set to access the seating area. • Turn off mobile phones and paging devices. The frequencies from the devices disrupt our sound equipment, and this will also prevent them from ringing or vibrating loudly, which interrupts the performance. • Visit the bathroom prior to the commencement of the performance. It is difficult to leave during the show to use the bathroom and you may not be re-admitted to the theatre. • A member of the front of house staff will make an announcement before the show. Be sure to listen carefully to all information. They will then usher you to your seats. Please follow their directions. • During the performance, please observe the following: o No photography or recording the performance o No talking o No eating or drinking AIM Dramatic Arts: Her Naked Skin Education Resource Kit ©2014 19 REFERENCES/BIBLIOGRAPHY Benedict, D., 2008. Abroad: Her Naked Skin. Variety. 411(12), p.28. Billington, M., 2008. Her Naked Skin. The Guardian. Available from: http://www.theguardian.com/stage/2008/aug/02/theatre1. [Accessed 17 August 2014]. Board of Studies, NSW, 2003. Drama Years 7-10 Syllabus. Sydney: Author. Board of Studies, NSW, 2007. English Stage 6 Prescriptions: Area of Study, Electives and Texts – Higher School Certificate 2009-2014. Sydney: Author. Board of Studies, NSW, 2009a. Drama Stage 6 Syllabus. Sydney: Author. Board of Studies, NSW, 2009b. Modern History Stage 6 Syllabus. Sydney: Author. Board of Studies, NSW, 2013a. English Stage 6 Prescriptions: Area of Study, Electives and Texts – Higher School Certificate 2015-2020. Sydney: Author. Board of Studies, NSW, 2013b. Society and Culture Stage 6 Syllabus. Sydney: Author. Casarotto Marsh Limited, 2014. Rebecca Lenkiewicz Agent Bio. Available from: http://www.casarotto.co.uk/assets/x/53537.pdf. [Accessed 12 June 2014]. Costa, M., 2004. I went to an underworld. The Guardian. Available from: http://www.theguardian.com/stage/2004/jul/21/theatre2. [Accessed 12 June 2014]. Groskop, V., 2008. Sex and the suffragette. The Guardian. Available from: http://www.theguardian.com/stage/2008/aug/26/theatre.women. [Accessed 17 June 2014]. Hogonboom, M., 2013. Emily Davison: the suffragette who died for her cause. BBC History. Available from: http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/0/22596311. [Accessed 12 June 2014]. Lenkiewicz, R., 2008. Her Naked Skin. London: Faber & Faber. National Union of Women’s Suffrage Societies, n.d. Source 8 – NUWSS. British Library. Available from: http://www.bl.uk/learning/histcitizen/21cc/struggle/suffrage/sources/source8/ nuwss.html. [Accessed 25 June 2014]. Purvis, J., 1995 “The prison experiences of the suffragettes in Edwardian Britain”, Women's History Review, 4(1), 103-133. AIM Dramatic Arts: Her Naked Skin Education Resource Kit ©2014 20 AIM Dramatic Arts: Her Naked Skin Education Resource Kit ©2014 21 AIM Dramatic Arts: Her Naked Skin Education Resource Kit ©2014 22